Bad news, my engine passed away today!

Discussion in 'General Maverick/Comet' started by Swede, Sep 4, 2004.

  1. Swede

    Swede Member

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    Well, what can I say?
    Was going to a pistolcompetition this morning. Bought some breakfeast at McDonalds and brought it with me. Stopped on the way to the competition to have breakfeast, and left the engine running for a while. I was keeping an eye on the tempgauge, but wasn´t paying attention to the oilpressuregauge (or at least I can´t remember having looked at it).:oops:
    After 10 minutes, I killed the engine (literally, though that wasn´t my intention). When I was finished with breakfeast I tried to restart the engine, but couldn´t get it started. Left it for a while to let it cool down before trying again, but no luck, and this time the starter sounded tired so I thought the battery was low. Got help with a jumpercable and got it started but then it died again, tried again but the starter wouldn´t crank the engine.:confused:
    Finally I gave up, and called my parents to tow me. Tried to restart during tow and got the engine running, but now it was running really rough with a lot of mechanical noise, and backfired, and it wouldn´t stay running. After a couple of attempts of restarting it (I know I shouldn´t have, but by now I was ready to set the bloody car on fire :mad: ) it wouldn´t respond at all, did not even get the sound of the pistons compressing and releasing, just a faint whirr. :eek:

    Now that I think of it, the car was belching quite a bit of smoke yesterday evening. I didn´t think any of it then, because it was a rather cold (for this time of the year) and moist evening with a lot of dew. I can usually smell the exhausts for burnt oil, and the color wasn´t very gray, or even white (indicating steam from the coolant). Maybe my nose isn´t as good as I think it is!

    Had a buddy do a quick post mortem this afternoon and the oil on the dipstick looked like metallicpaint, it was very beautiful with all the metalflakes in it, but I guess oil isn´t in the engine to look good?:cry:

    Great, I´m unemployed, and now I need a new enginge. Allready found one (4v 302 recently rebuilt) but it won´t do my wallet any good! It will cost me roughly the equivalent of 530$US, which is a good price for what I´m getting, it´s just that I really can´t afford it right now, as if that would stop me!:rolleyes:

    Ohh well. Hopefully I´ll have the ruint engine out of the car by the end of next week, and the "new" engine will arrive by next weekend at the latest. So hopefully the car won´t be standing still for too long. This "new" engine will probably be a bit of a "hop-up" from the dead one, at least it has a 4v intake and carb, and it has been recently rebuilt. A buddy has had it in a powerboat, but never got the cooling sorted, so instead he got a Chevy 350 that has been converted for marine use.

    Just had to vent a little!

    Anders O
     
  2. Dan Starnes

    Dan Starnes Original owner

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    It's never a good day when your engine expires. That is a good price on the other engine. Better days are ahead.
    Dan
     
  3. Swede

    Swede Member

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    Thanks for the encouragement Dan. Let me put it like this, I SURE hope so, because if I have many more days like this one in the near future, I might as well use my head for a bit of targetpractice!:mad:
    Just kidding ofcorse ;), though I am very frustrated right now, I am well aware that I also had a LOT of luck in that this other engine was available, and at this price.

    I just don´t get along with myself very well when I´m this angry, tired and frustrated, I´m a lot happier when I´m happy!:D

    All that worries me now is how to make ends meet the next couple of months. The guy with the engine is a really great guy and a good friend. He has agreed to let me have the engine and pay it over four or five months, which is ofcorse a GREAT help. The buddy who did the post-mortem on the engine has promised to help me with the swap, and lets me use his garage, so I don´t need to pay anyone for this work. Problem is I know that the expense won´t stop with just the engine. I´m very bad at saving money, so I have very little stashed away, and with that and what I get from my unemployment-insurance, I was allready looking forward to a couple of lean months until I find a job. I really shouldn´t complain about my financial situaion though, there are a LOT of people that are a LOT worse off, and the problems I´m having are ALL my doing. Things WILL work out, that I´m sure of. Just need to whine (spelling?) a bit before I can move on! ;)

    Anders O
     
  4. shaunh82

    shaunh82 Member

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    my tranny went on my way to check out a 77 4dr parts car yesterday, I know the feeling
     
  5. Cleaver

    Cleaver Member

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    My sympathies... Sometimes I think engines have a mind of their own and pick the exact worst time to expire.

    Cleaver
     
  6. Jean Doll

    Jean Doll Maverick Restoration Tech

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    Sorry to hear you engine decided it was time to start pushing up the daisy's. Funny how they seem to know when to die at the worst possible time. I'm glad you were able to find another engine so fast. I realize that money is tight for you right now, but hang in there. The bad times don't last forever, even if it seems like they do.
     
  7. MaverickGrabber

    MaverickGrabber MaverickGrabber1972

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    sounds more like it may have jumped time and by you trying to start it could have put a valve through the piston
     
  8. Swede

    Swede Member

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    Shaunh82, Cleaver, Jean Doll thanks for the encouragement and concern. I have put some pespective on it overnight, and somehow I feel a lot better about the situation now. Yes, money will be tight in the near future, but it´s not like I´ll have to starve or loose my home or anything. It will work out one way or the other.

    MaverickGrabber, quite possible. I think I should have exerienced a bit of backfiring before I stopped the engine though if that was the case? Never mind, right now it is of very little concern to me what exactly happened, the engine is dead anyway! ;)
    I may get around to doing a more thourough post-mortem on the dead engine once it is out of the car, but I´m not sure about that either.

    Anders O
     
  9. MaverickGrabber

    MaverickGrabber MaverickGrabber1972

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    yeah the out come is the same ..but just about every one i seen jump time did it after the engine was turned off ....go to restart and sounds just like yours did
     
  10. Swede

    Swede Member

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    Okey, here´s a short update on the engine-swap. First off, I called the guy who is selling me the 302, and he comfirmed it DOES come complete with a 4v intake and carb! Yipee!!! :D

    On the actual work, I put in roughly 6 hours on the car today, and I´ve removed the radiator and got everything disconnected except the bellhousing and the enginemounts which I will get done on wednesday. I´m very satisfied with the progress, even though it may seem slow to some of you. The most pleasant surprise is that not a single screw, nut or bolt was stuck. Not even the bolts holding the headers! So, while I feel that this little car REALLY let me down this saturday, she seems eager to cooperate with me so far, maybe she´s feeling guilty? :D

    Anders O
     
  11. Swede

    Swede Member

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    After roughly 10 hours of work, the old engine is now out of the car. I will get the new engine this sunday or monday, but will not be able to start the reassembly until next weekend, due to being out of town monday through thursday next week.

    Hopefully, if all goes as well as the disassemblyphase, I should have the car up and running within two weeks.

    Anders O
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2004
  12. scott

    scott Member

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    well swede..since you won't starve or lose the house... dive in!!!! caution to the wind!!!!!!! while the engine is out... clean and paint the engine compartment...send pictures!!!!!!! best of luck!
     
  13. Acornridgeman

    Acornridgeman MCCI Wisconsin State Rep Moderator Supporting Member

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    Hey Swede - didn't you tell us that gas is like $7.00 a gallon by you. What were you doing leaving the engine idle so long :slap:


    Anyway, that price for a 302 4bbl in Europe is a good deal. Too bad it will set you back, but it will be worth it :clap:
     
  14. benben

    benben Member

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    Do not loose the hope! Last week I'll do A/T tune up! The oil came out from ewery hole! But now I'm on road again! :)
     
  15. Swede

    Swede Member

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    Thanks guys!

    Scott, only problem with that is that the enginebay IS allready painted (done in the 80s) and in very nice condition. There´s no dirt or oil, just a layer of fine dust which comes off with a rag! So there´s really nothing I can do until I get the engine (on monday) and since I will be out of town monday through thursday, work with putting the new engine in won´t start until late next week.

    Acornridegeman, yeah, gas is expensive compared to in the US but I don´t think that the car burns THAT much on idle! :D
    And yes, I think I got a really good deal on this engine. It´s good to be "connected".

    Benben, don´t worry mate. After the worst chock of the engine quitting on me had passed, everything looked much better. Now that I have the old engine out of the car with so little trouble, I´m very optimistic. :)

    I´ll report back when the new engine is in, and hopefully running.

    Anders O
     

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